News

Meat Processor Sued over Pollution

20 April 2015

US - The Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a lawsuit Fruitland American Meat, LLC, a Jackson meat-processing plant, for polluting a stream near the plant with slaughterhouse waste that escaped its wastewater system.

According to the lawsuit filed at Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court, the animal waste discharged from the plant on numerous occasions resulted in dark brown or red, foamy stream water with an offensive odour.

On one occasion the slaughterhouse waste killed more than 900 fish.

Mr Koster (pictured) charged the company with water pollution, illegal discharge, failure to report the breaches, and failure to submit discharge monitoring reports and sample discharge.

“Missouri’s waterways are among our state’s most important natural resources,” Mr Koster said.

“This company threatened the vitality of this stream by allowing slaughterhouse waste to pollute it.”

Mr Koster is asking the court for a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting Fruitland American Meat from any further violations of the Missouri Clean Water Law, and for a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each day violations occurred.